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What Is a Cape Cod House? Hint: It’s on Monopoly Boards
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Countless Monopoly games have been won and lost over the placement of tiny green houses (as well as slightly larger red hotels, but that’s another story). But if you’ve ever inspected these pieces of plastic, you’d see that they’re actually miniature versions of a popular style of architecture known as a Cape Cod house. All of which begs the question: What is a Cape Cod house, anyway?
Characteristics of a Cape Cod house
These homes are named, of course, after the place that gave them their start: the beloved vacation destination off the coast of Massachusetts known for its breathtaking beaches and quaint little towns. In the 1600s, Cape Cod gave birth to its namesake style of home, which was built to withstand the region’s harsh winters.
As such, the houses there typically had the following features:
Simple rectangular shape and small size. Due to the extreme cold of winter, the smaller the house, the easier and less expensive it was to heat.
Steep, slanted roof to help snow melt off.
A central chimney in the middle of the home (all the easier to heat the rooms on all sides) connected to fireplaces in many rooms.
Cedar shutters and shake shingles to protect against strong winds.
Low ceilings to also help conserve heat.
A central hall with equal space on either side
No porch or other ornamentation (and least in their earliest incarnations).
After soldiers returned home from World War II, Boston architect Royal Barry Willis was instrumental in the spread of Cape Cod–style homes in suburbs across the United States—starting in the Northeast and moving westward. Young families flocked to them because of their affordability, especially during the Great Depression.
Modern takes on the Cape
The Cape Cod home style is still going strong today. These buildings may use different construction materials and add features like porches, but they retain many of the style’s traditional characteristics. Below is a gorgeous take on the Cape Code style in the Pacific Northwest:
Photo by David Vandervort Architects
Capes fall into the midrange cost when it comes to building, as you can lose some livable space because of the roof and its rafters. Still, it’s considered an affordable and practical housing style.
If you want a little feel of the Cape, this style of house may be available to shop for wherever you live. Or at the very least, you’ll have some interesting trivia to divulge during your next Monopoly game.
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